Copyright - Star Wars

[darmstadt]

"The Hobbit" in Southampton, used to be one of my regular haunts in uni days, with cocktails imaginatively named Legolas, Gollum, Aragorn etc

It made the local rag a while ago, I believe they were sued but don't know the details...looking at their website it doesn't look like they changed their name.

I found that all a bit over the top by the film makers. There's also a pub here called Hobbit which has Pizzas named after the characters and they never got done...Personally I would be very carefully naming anything where an American media conglomerate has previously used it.

[AtW]

It made the local rag a while ago, I believe they were sued but don't know the details...looking at their website it doesn't look like they changed their name.

It got in the news, so public attention saved them at the time when new Hobbit movie was released.

Lucas Arts is known (in my personal opinion) for aggressive and often (in my view) unjustified legal action against those who they perceive as using their IP rights.

If you really want it then I'd get legal view on it - you might be ok, but with legal view you'd sleep better.

[northernladuk]

Is it really worth potentially getting in to trouble to have a company name such as this? Doesn't really mean much....... unless it is related to your trade and then you are deffo gonna get into trouble.

[kingcook]

Is it really worth potentially getting in to trouble to have a company name such as this? Doesn't really mean much....... unless it is related to your trade and then you are deffo gonna get into trouble.

You (and others) are probably right. It doesn't really mean much, correct - except for the cool factor

[barrydidit]

I think Lucas would probably be ok about it. After all, he did nick it in the first place from these guys who happened to be next to where the filming took place.

I went there once. Had the tulips. I wouldn't recommend the place.

[bless 'em all]

I did a short stint at the IPO and the gist was that IF you could reasonably expect the use of the name might cause some confusion (not defined as to how thick the 'confusee' might be sadly) over your's and IP 'owners' business then you'd be in breach.

Start an IT Co, call it MacroSoft - get jumped on

Start your own Male Escort agency, call it Micro-Soft - you might get away with it

[northernladuk]

I did a short stint at the IPO and the gist was that IF you could reasonably expect the use of the name might cause some confusion (not defined as to how thick the 'confusee' might be sadly) over your's and IP 'owners' business then you'd be in breach.

Start an IT Co, call it MacroSoft - get jumped on

Start your own Male Escort agency, call it Micro-Soft - you might get away with it

Well two points here and I think they are down to your example but you would also get jumped on twice for the second one. The IT giant could pull one of two lines. One is the unsavoury nature of the business affecting the brand of the like sounding IT company. Slightly different law I think but still trouble and also as per the YouView vs Yourview it can still be pulled for sounding confusing. Diff products but names too similar.

I know picking on an example that probably isn't the best but thought I would just say.

[malvolio]

Dunno if anyone's thought to Goggle it, but there is actually a Tattoine Computing in Cleveland, Ohio...

[AtW]

I think Lucas would probably be ok about it

George Lucas will be fine... because he'd already sold the franchise to Disney

[kingcook]

Tatooine was just an example.

I was actually thinking about starting a company called Dagobah Systems, but the domain name has been taken anyway, so balls to it.